Trade show leads: why most go cold, and what to do in the first 48 hours
For many years I exhibited at PPMA with Watson-Marlow. We typically came away with 100 to 150 leads.
Each one went into the CRM and was assigned to a Sales Engineer for follow-up. Then the week took over. Customer visits. Quotes. Breakdowns. The leads waited.
A few became orders. Many were hard to reach, lacked budget or simply weren't ready. After a few months, most were closed. There was rarely any structured nurture.
Interest wasn't the problem. Timing was.
A business can recognise the need for change and see the value of a solution, yet still lack the time, budget or capacity to act. It's like offering round wheels to someone pushing a cart with square ones. The benefit is obvious, but changing them still means stopping the cart.
So the leads that went quiet weren't necessarily lost. They just weren't ready when we called.
Sort every lead before you leave the hall
What I'd do differently now is simple. On the last afternoon of the show, sort every lead into one of three piles:
Live: a project, a budget or a date. Call within 48 hours. If you don't get through, email to book a time, then try again.
Real need, no timing: a useful follow-up within a week, then a plan to stay in touch.
Brochure collectors: one polite email, then let them go.
Three piles. Three different next actions. One named owner for each.
It takes about an hour, and it's the difference between a lead list and a pipeline.
Four questions for the week after
Once you're back in the office, these are the questions that matter:
Who owns each lead?
What is the next action, and when?
Which leads need attention now?
What happens to the prospects who won't be ready for three, six or twelve months?
That last one is where most of the value sits, and where most businesses have no plan at all.
The real test
A missed call and a follow-up email are a start. The real test is how many of those leads you've actually spoken to.
If you exhibited at a show this year, how many of your leads have you had a proper conversation with since?
If your show leads are sitting in a list, I'm happy to talk it through. Book a 30-minute Clarity Call.
